Leaving Japan

View of my old neighborhood of Sakuragaoka (桜丘) from the top of the new Shibuya Scramble Square building.

It's now December 16, 2019 and I returned to the US on November 22nd. Here's a blog entry I wrote before leaving Japan back in September as I was coming to grips with the decision to return.

~~~

It's been more than a year since I last blogged. I guess I've been spending more time living than writing about living. :-) Well, that "just living" time in Japan is likely coming to an end very soon.

What's ultimate dragging me back to the US, with much sadness and regret, is money. People say that living in Japan is expensive. It's really not true. What's driving me back is the unjust healthcare system of the US and the fact that I must provide US  healthcare insurance for my family.

But you might ask, aren't you heading back because Japan is more expensive than the US? No.

Taxes are higher in Japan for me than in the US. But, I get more from society here than in the US for those additional taxes. I think it's worth it. But when I tried to write about taxes, so much came  pouring out that I had to break it out into a separate blog post: Taxes in US and Japan. The net is that the increase in taxes didn't break the camel's back.

Rent in Tokyo can be as high as you'd like to pay, but if you live in a Japanese-size apartment like me, even in a nice location (Shibuya!) with a view of Tokyo (which I don't have), you'd be surprised how little you pay compared to Seattle, let alone New York or San Francisco.  For my large American house, with a small view of Lake Washington, in walking distance to downtown Kirkland, I pay much more. But, I was able to balance this by converting our basement into an ADU (read, apartment) which has finally rented. Although the ADU rent doesn't cover the entire cost of my apartment in Tokyo, it did make it sustainable.

Transportation costs less! I don't need, nor have a car. I have a Japanese driver's license and rent cars when I like (five times so far). But, no car payment, no insurance and no maintenance costs. Instead, I zip around Tokyo on the most advanced rail system in the world (IMHO) and take bullet trains when I go to other cities. When I commute to work, I pay nothing because my company pays for my commuter pass, 定期券.

Can I put a price on the safety and cleanliness of where I live? There is no gun problem. No concern of assault rifles available to criminals or the mentally ill. Of course, people still stab and slice each other with very sharp knives.

I've spent many years studying Japanese, but this is the first time I've spent immersed in the language. Even through osmosis, I'm hearing words and seeing Kanji. I'm collecting interactions in Japanese (making a purchase, ordering food in a restaurant, making a restaurant reservation on the phone, explaining why I'm in Japan, explaining what I like about Japan, etc) that I'm able to do with increasing ease and effectiveness in Japanese. I'm also listening to Japanese news and books. I'm reading simplified Japanese news.  While my work remains primarily in English, there's Japanese there too. I meet with two tutors each week where we discuss happenings and explore the language. It's much less structured than my studying in the US, but has been very effective at developing my "fast thinking, fluent" Japanese.

Another thing that's hugely valuable to me is this special connection I feel meeting people in Tokyo. When I meet foreigners, if they don't know Japan, then my knowledge is a special way I can help them appreciate what's special in Japan. If they know Japan well and perhaps live here, then we're part of a small, but determined, group that appreciate a unique environment. If they're Japanese, then they wonder what I'm doing here and again I can help them appreciate what's special in Japan, because they often don't see it.  It happens again and again. In particular, I love attending Friday Shabbat services and dinners at the Jewish Community of Japan. There I get to meet Jewish visitors from all over world who are curious and interested in Japan.  Those have been great conversations.

What's finally driving me to assess my long-term plan is healthcare insurance. Japanese companies, including Microsoft Japan, provide excellent healthcare insurance as part of the Japan national healthcare system for family in Japan.  But, nothing for family outside. I think the opposite is true too - Microsoft in the US provides healthcare for family in the US. This wasn't a showstopper while we had COBRA. But, when COBRA ended on July 31st this year, we had to go on the individual market in the US for insurance. It's a ridiculous amount to pay for a high deductible policy that doesn't compare with the Microsoft provided coverage.

Another way to look at this is that my family is in the US and only I want to live in Japan. My family needs me and I want to be with them, so I'm heading back.

Mount Fuji at sunset from the top of Shibuya Scramble Square. Last night in Japan.